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Category: Animals

Giant African Millipede

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Giant African Millipede

(Archispirostreptus gigas)

These are the largest of the thousands of species of millipede. Although the name millipede means “thousand-feet,” the giant African millipede only has about 300 to 400 legs.

Animal Facts

Millipedes have up to 750 legs but they are only born with six.
For each body segment, they have four legs (as opposed to the centipede that has two legs per segment).
They secrete cyanide poisoning when feeling threatened, which harms their predators if they try to eat a millipede.
Millipedes have a very hard exoskeleton for protection.
They are nocturnal “nutrient recyclers”, breaking down plant matter on the forest floor, making it available for smaller animals and plants.

Diet

Organic matter, decayed plant material such as leaves and wood, occasionally on living plant roots and rootlets. Sometimes they feed on dead earthworms and insects.

Status in The Wild

  • Least Concern

International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List status

Found throughout Tanzania, in rainforests, found under logs and stones. They prefer tropical forest floor.

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New Caledonian Crested Gecko

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New Caledonian Crested Gecko

(Rhacodactylus ciliatus)

Seneca Park Zoo is home to two crested geckos. Both were born in May 2005, and arrived at the Zoo in 2007. Their names are Crazy-Eye and Hopscotch, and they are a part of the Zoo’s ambassador animal program.

Animal Facts

Crested geckos are capable of changing their color slightly to better blend in with their surroundings and for communication.
Darker color often indicates stress.
This reptile has no eyelids and uses its tongue to clean its eyes.
These geckos can lose their tails to avoid predation. Most adults in the wild no longer have tails.
This is now one of the most widely-kept and bred species of gecko in the world, and they are illegal to export from wild habitats.

Diet

The New Caledonian crested gecko feeds on a variety of insects and fruit.

Status in The Wild

  • Endangered

International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List status

These geckos are native to the island of New Caledonia, in the southeast Pacific, east of Australia.

This species was once thought to be extinct. It was rediscovered in 1994 and is now listed as endangered.

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North American River Otter

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North American River Otter

(Lontra canadensis)

There are three river otters at Seneca Park Zoo, one female and two male. Female Ashkii was born in 2016 and joined us from the National Zoo in March 2020. One male, Sailor, was born in 2007 and came to the Zoo in May 2012 from a private facility in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. The other male, Gary, was born in February 2022 and came to us in 2023.

Animal Facts

River otters can travel underwater a quarter of a mile and stay submerged for about eight minutes at a time.
Not only water creatures, river otters travel across land. They run and slide along the belly up to 18 miles per hour.
The otter’s thick coat is made of guard hair and an undercoat. The undercoat next to the skin stays dry, insulating the otter from the cold water in its environment.
River otters do not compete with humans for game fish.
River otters are crepuscular, meaning they are more active at dawn and at dusk than other times of day.

Diet

River otters are carnivorous creatures. They eat fish, crayfish, frogs, salamanders, snakes, clams, snails, turtles, birds, rodents and insects.
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Status in The Wild

  • Least Concern

International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List status

North American river otters reside throughout the U.S. and Canada along rivers, near streams and lakes bordered by woods with wetlands.

North American river otters have been trapped for their highly-prized furs, resulting in a steep decrease in population since the 1800s. However, the otter is being restored to places where it is regionally threatened, resulting in an otter come back in many places. Seneca Park Zoo is part of an initiative to reintroduce the river otter back to Western New York. Releases have taken place in Honeoye Lake and the Genesee River, among other locations. Laws protecting the otter from over-hunting and habitat destruction have been important U.S. conservation measures.

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Olive Baboon

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Olive Baboon

(Papio anubis)

Seneca Park Zoo has a troop of 10 baboons: 6 females (Pimento, Pearl, Sabina, Peperella, Olive Oil, Olivella) and 4 males (Mansino, Jefferson Jr., Kalamata, Pico-de-Limon). Pimento, the dominant female, is most established in the baboon hierarchy. The baboons can be found enjoying enrichment items, running around their habitat, and grooming one another.

Animal Facts

Olive baboons live in groups of 15 to 150, with many females, a few males and the offspring.
Social hierarchy is important to baboons. Males fight to establish dominance, whereas females inherit dominance from their mothers.
The olive baboon is so named for its coat, which is a grey-green color from a distance.
Males are larger than females, weighing on average 53 pounds, whereas the female weighs on average 33 pounds.

Diet

Olive baboons have a diverse omnivorous diet. They eat everything from plants, flowers, fruits, shoots and twigs, insects, lizards, frogs and turtles.
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Status in The Wild

  • Least Concern

International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List status

Found in 25 countries throughout equatorial Africa, the olive baboon inhabits the African grasslands called the savanna.

The olive baboon is the most widespread African primate.

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Panamanian Golden Frog

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Panamanian Golden Frog

(Atelopus zeteki)

Panamanian golden frogs are a bright golden-yellow color with some darker spots. The Zoo’s Panamanian golden frogs reside inside the CBE Building.

Animal Facts

Although Panamanian golden frogs are called frogs, they are scientifically classified as true toads.
These frogs communicate by waving their hands instead of croaking.
Panamanian golden frogs are considered lucky in Panama.
Panamanian golden frogs are poisonous, secreting a water-soluble neurotoxin.
In wet habitat, the frogs can weigh twice as much as those living in dry habitat, 12 to 17 grams compared to 3 to 7 grams.

Diet

Very small insects comprise the diet of these frogs.

Status in The Wild

  • Critically Endangered

International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List status

The Panamanian golden frog historically inhabits mountainous rainforests and streams in Panama, but is believed they could be extinct in nature at this time.

Panamanian golden frogs are under pressure from loss of habitat, over collection and chytridiomycosis. Some scientists suspect that the Panamanian golden frog has been extinct in its natural range since 2006. Seneca Park Zoo is part of a larger conservation effort for these frogs, known as the Species Survival Plan (SSP).

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Red Panda

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Red Panda

(Fulgens fulgens)

The Zoo is home to two red pandas, a female named Raji and a male named Willie. Born in July 2022, Raji arrived at the Zoo in winter 2023 from the Rosamond Gifford Zoo in Syracuse. Willie was born in 2015 at the Greenville Zoo in South Carolina and came to us in 2020 from Zoo Knoxville in Tennessee. Willie is distinctive from Raji based on his predominantly white face, while Raji’s face markings are more red. The red panda habitat is located next to the Animal Hospital.

Animal Facts

Red pandas spend almost 13 hours of their waking time foraging for food. They can eat up to 30% of their body weight in bamboo shoots and leaves each day.
The Chinese word for red panda is hunho, meaning fire fox.
During cold weather, red pandas can lower their metabolic rate to conserve energy.

Diet

Although technically omnivores, red pandas are primarily herbivores and prefer to feed on bamboo leaves and shoots. They will also eat berries, blossoms, the leaves of other plants, and occasionally bird eggs, insects, and small rodents.
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Status in The Wild

  • Endangered

International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List status

Red pandas are found throughout the Himalayan Mountains, living at altitudes between 5,000 and 15,000 feet.

They prefer cool temperate climates in deciduous and coniferous forests. These forests are vital for red panda survival, since they are an arboreal species.

The biggest threat to this species is deforestation, which eliminates nesting sites and sources of food, and isolates populations into small fragments. They are also poached for their fur, and are becoming increasingly popular in the pet trade.

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Red-Eared Slider

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Red-Eared Slider

(Trachemys scripta elegans)

There are two red-eared sliders at Seneca Park Zoo and they can be found in the Genesee Trail (seasonally).

Animal Facts

Females can grow to be much larger than males.
The red-eared slider gets its name from the red stripe that can be seen from behind the eyes and extending all the way to the neck.
These turtles are common pets throughout the world.
Red-eared sliders are mainly aquatic, but leave the water to bask in the sun and to lay eggs.

Diet

Omnivore. Adults feed on plant and animal matter. They like to eat snails, tadpoles and fish, as well as duckweed and water lilies.

Status in The Wild

  • Least Concern

International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List status

Red-eared sliders are from the southeastern United States and also live in New York State. They can often be found basking on logs or stumps in or near water.

Humans are the greatest enemy of red-eared sliders. Each year, turtles are harmed; mainly from habitat destruction and pollution.

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Red-Footed Tortoise

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Red-Footed Tortoise

(Geochelone carbonaria)

Koopa is the name of our female red-footed tortoise. She loves to eat grapes!

Animal Facts

Red-footed tortoises can reach up to about 20 pounds, with males being a little heavier than females.
They can live up to 50 years!
Red feet help males attract females – the brighter the color, the more impressive a mate!
While habitat loss is increasingly a problem for these animals, overhunting is the most common cause of population decrease.
Tortoises are hunted for food and for their shells.

Diet

The forest habitat provides the red-foot with an abundance of fallen fruits such as wild plum. It also eats wild mushrooms, vines, grasses, succulents and carrion, and is attracted to yellow and red flowers.
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Status in The Wild

  • Not Evaluated

International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List status

The red-footed tortoise is found throughout extreme southern Central America, and central and northern South America

This includes the countries of Panama, Colombia, Venezuela, Guyana, Suriname, French Guyana, Brazil, Bolivia, Paraguay, and Argentina. Red-foots are commonly found in relatively-dry grassland and forests areas. They can also be found in humid forest habitat. Red-foots are protected under Appendix II of the CITES, meaning they may not be exported from its home country without a permit. In every country in its range, the biggest threat to the survival of the red-footed tortoise is hunting by man.

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Red-Tailed Hawk

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Red-Tailed Hawk

(Buteo jamaicensis)

The Zoo is home to one female red-tailed hawk who came to the Zoo in May 2014. The red-tailed hawk is a medium-sized bird of prey. Its head is distinguished by a hooked beak and supraorbital ridge over the eyes.

Animal Facts

Red-tailed hawks may live about 25 years in captivity.
Red-tailed hawks are monogamous and may mate for life.
These diurnal hawks are primary solitary but will be social during breeding season and during migration.

Diet

Red-tailed hawks feed mostly on small- to medium-sized mammals such as voles, squirrels, rabbits and hares. They rarely take (but have been observed consuming) birds, reptiles, amphibians, fish, large insects and carrion.

Status in The Wild

  • Least Concern

International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List status

Red-tailed hawks are widespread and the most common hawk throughout North America.

In Alaska and Canada, they migrate to avoid severe winters, with migration peaking in October/November. Habitats vary but include rural and urban areas that contain woods, open country, deserts and mountains.

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Reef Tank

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Reef Tank

Various Species

Reef Tank Species Fish: Yellow tang (Zebrasoma flavescens); Percula clownfish (Amphiprion percula); Ocellaris clownfish (Amphiprion ocellaris); Flame hawkfish; Diamond goby; and Banggai Cardinalfish (Pterapogon kauderni). Corals (soft and stony): tree leather coral, green leather coral; Kenya tree coral; frilly mushroom coral; star polyp; button mushroom coral; bubble (or grape) coral; hammer coral; candy coral Invertebrates: Rose bulb tip anemone; short-armed brittle star; spiny sea urchin The reef tank is also home to four Pacific cleaner shrimp.

Animal Facts

The tank is 560 gallons!

Diet

The reef tank is fed seven times a week a diet of seaweed, marine fish flakes, small shrimp, etc.
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Status in The Wild

  • Vulnerable

International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List status

Coral reefs occur in the waters of more than 100 countries and territories around the world

According to the Global Coral Reef Monitoring Network (GCRMN), coral reefs are among the most vulnerable ecosystems on the planet with the world losing about 14% of the total world’s population since 2009.

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Bubble Coral Range
Bubble Coral Range
Rose Bubble Tip Anemone Range
Rose Bubble Tip Anemone Range
Yellow Tang Range
Yellow Tang Range
Diamond Goby Range
Diamond Goby Range
Flexible Leather Coral Range
Flexible Leather Coral Range
Hammer Coral Range
Hammer Coral Range
Long-spined Sea Urchin Range
Long-spined Sea Urchin Range
Neon Green Hairy Mushroom Coral Range
Neon Green Hairy Mushroom Coral Range
Pacific Feeder Shrimp Range
Pacific Feeder Shrimp Range
Percula Clownfish Range
Percula Clownfish Range
Red Mushroom Coral Range
Red Mushroom Coral Range

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Seneca Park Zoo
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Rochester, NY 14621

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  • Fax: 585.342.1477

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